shake d livin wake d dead wrote:Looks like silver fox gonna form his own party...he says watch on may 20...in other words...pnm victory in 2020...my lord

I interpreted it differently.He chose his words carefully, I suspect that Mikela may be launching something.

either way....a third party won't really survive.....unless real big boys pelting out $$$...PNM here to stay for some time

There are already more than 3.COP is still active (LOL)PEP is throwing their hat into the ring (More LOL)Kamla is making plenty heavy promises that are unsustainable, but appeal to grassroots.PNM generally falling out of favour with the populace, but trinis have 3 day memory and 2020 is some time off.Unless this new party has some heavy hitting defectors, I don't see much impact. Panday's name is still gold among grassroot supporters, so his endorsement can pull votes.

shake d livin wake d dead wrote:Looks like silver fox gonna form his own party...he says watch on may 20...in other words...pnm victory in 2020...my lord

I interpreted it differently.He chose his words carefully, I suspect that Mikela may be launching something.

either way....a third party won't really survive.....unless real big boys pelting out $$$...PNM here to stay for some time

There are already more than 3.COP is still active (LOL)PEP is throwing their hat into the ring (More LOL)Kamla is making plenty heavy promises that are unsustainable, but appeal to grassroots.PNM generally falling out of favour with the populace, but trinis have 3 day memory and 2020 is some time off.Unless this new party has some heavy hitting defectors, I don't see much impact. Panday's name is still gold among grassroot supporters, so his endorsement can pull votes.

lehme rephrase again lol...

a third party to win an election on it's own...a third party consisting of more old UNC people would only take away votes from tanty kams resulting in a split vote(remember what Dookeran tried)

FORMER minister Devant Maharaj has expressed concern that a new party formed by former prime minister Basdeo Panday and his daughter Mickela could split UNC votes in the 2020 general election.

Panday, in a telephone interview, said his daughter Mickela, former Oropouche West MP, and a group of young people had decided to call a symposium, whose purpose was to find out what was to be done for young people of the nation. Panday said young people were lost and were searching for hope. He reported that he would be at the meeting, which is scheduled for May 20.

“It may result in a political party,” he said.

On Maharaj’s concerns about this potential party splitting the UNC vote, Panday responded that the Kamla Persad-Bissessar UNC might split votes and prevent other parties from winning.

On his own planned involvement in this party, Panday said if the members required advice from him, he would willingly give it.

Asked if he might contest a seat, he said, “They may not offer me any.” Panday said he had never left active politics, though he had not been engaged in electoral politics for some time.

“I have never give up my struggle to make this country a better place for all of us to live in. I will always continue to do that.”

Asked about possibly returning to electoral politics, he said, “I do not know what is going to happen.” Panday said he was thankful to Maharaj for popularising the meeting on May 20.

Mickela Panday could not be contacted yesterday by phone or WhatsApp, but she posted on her Facebook page a photo of a poster for the event called “It’s Time,” which included the tag lines “to be heard”, “to effect change”, “to make a difference”, and “to improve our people’s lives.”

In a media release yesterday, Maharaj said businessmen from South and Central had been contacting his office to express their “deep and worrisome concerns” over Panday’s impending political activity.

He said on May 20 at Gaston Court, Chaguanas, “Basdeo Panday will be hosting a meeting to gauge the political backing that either he or his daughter Mickela Panday has in the traditional base of the United National Congress. Should the support of that and other subsequent meetings seem to the encouraging for the Pandays and that they have enough support, the intention is to launch a political party before the next general election in 2020.”

Maharaj reported that Panday has told some people he is inspired by Malaysia’s former premier Mahathir Mohamad, who at 92, was announced in January as the Pakatan Harapan candidate for Prime Minister for the upcoming 2018 election.

“Panday also sees this option as the only viable option for a political future for Mickela as it is felt that the Kamla-led UNC has rejected (her). This new political entity is being viewed as the only option left to the Pandays and their political survival.”

I agree that they will pull unc voters....But i also agree they will shock pnm by taking alot of their voters also.She is young and allegedly has a clean slate,so it will be interesting we all see what unc and pnm could do lets see what her campaign will look like and ideas for a better governance for t&t.

In Indo-trini politics, if you get fedup of the leader you run off and create a new party fracturing the parent party which never truly dies. Once the leader changes, the breakaways go back to the parent party and get reabsorbed. They die a natural death during the re-absorption process, when they try to break off again or by the electorate.

This is going to be 2007 all over again.

When people were fedup with Panday, COP was born led by Dookeran and that split the vote in 2007 elections. Once Panday left many went back "home". COP was unofficially reabsorbed into the UNC during the partnership years to the point they were indistinguishable except the party colors yellow and white. They trying to separate after the 2015 defeat but that party is dead.

It is going to be hard for a UNC spinoff to gain the Afro-vote unless the leader is THAT charismatic and Growley ultimately facks up. Jack Warner was that guy but his FIFA sins caught up with him. That unwavering PNM loyalty is still there even though more and more afro-trinis are questioning it.

Last edited by The_Honourable on May 10th, 2018, 2:42 am, edited 1 time in total.